Russia leads in tourist arrivals in Azerbaijan

According to data from Azerbaijan's State Statistics Committee, the country received 1.948 million international visitors between January and September 2025, representing a 1.8% decrease in foreign passenger traffic across 183 countries.

Russian tourists accounted for 24.8% of all arrivals (483,100 visitors), maintaining their traditional position as the largest visitor group to Azerbaijan.

Turkish citizens ranked second with 333,100 visitors (17.1%), while Iranian passport holders took third place with 153,900 arrivals (7.9%).

The top ten countries most interested in visiting Azerbaijan also included:

• India – 6.8% (132,500)
• Saudi Arabia – 4.5% (87,700)
• Georgia – 4.2% (81,800)
• Kazakhstan – 4% (77,900)
• Pakistan – 3.4% (66,200)
• China – 2.6% (50,600)
• Uzbekistan and Israel – 2.3% each (44,800)

According to Azerbaijani border service data, the remaining 172 countries accounted for just over 20% of those who visited Azerbaijan in January-September. Interestingly, there is a clear gender imbalance among visitors to the republic: two-thirds are men and only one-third are women.

Azerbaijan experienced significant growth in arrivals from Israel, Jordan, China, Tajikistan, and Japan (all exceeding 100% increases), the country's border guards noted. 

The flow of citizens from Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, has increased significantly – by 20% to 40%. The number of visitors from Western countries – Germany, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, and the USA – has increased by around 15%. Pakistani visitors to the republic also increased by 15% in the first three quarters, while South Korean visitors increased by 10%.

Slightly more than three-quarters of visitors to Azerbaijan arrived by plane, 22.5% crossed the country's border by car or train, and another 1.3% crossed the Caspian Sea and landed in Azerbaijani ports.